Moldova’s PM to discuss with EU new contract with Gazprom

Filat told reporters about his plans while commenting on negotiations with Gazprom, which he had in Moscow a week earlier

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CHISINAU, September 17 (Itar-Tass) —— Moldova’s Prime Minister Vlad Filat will go to Brussels in a week’s time to discuss with the European Union issues of the energy, including a new agreement with Gazprom.

Filat told reporters about his plans while commenting on negotiations with Gazprom, which he had in Moscow a week earlier.

“Gazprom believes that the draft agreement suggested by the Moldovan government does not give enough guarantees for the investments it made in the country’s gas sector,” Filat said. He continued saying that in compliance with the energy agreements, which Moldova had signed with the EU /the third energy packet/, one company should not be involved both in transportation and selling of gas. This is exactly what presently Gazprom’s affiliated company Moldovgaz is doing now.

“Gazprom has a question, to which, I admit it, we should give an answer – how to guarantee their investments? They consider our suggestions are not sufficient. From their point of view, Moldova’s refusal only from participation in the European Energy community may give the guarantees. We should find a compromise,” Filat said. The prime minister assured “Russian investments will be guaranteed, a new contract with Gazprom offering lower gas prices will be signed.”

“This compromise will not be at the expense of Moldova’s participation in the European community,” he added.

Earlier, Filat said he was planning to discuss energy issues with Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev during the summit of the CIS prime ministers due in Yalta on September 28.

The contract on supply and transit of gas, which Moldova signed with Gazprom in 2006, expired on January 1, 2012. The sides agreed to prolong its provisions to finalise negotiations on a new long-term agreement. Meanwhile, Moldovan politicians take differently the situation around the negotiations on the gas contract. The parliament’s Speaker Marian Lupu said that Chisinau “would not refuse from the energy agreements with the EU, as it would mean a dozen steps backwards from the European integration.” On the other hand, the country’s major political party of communists presented to the parliament a draft decision, where it suggests refusing from the energy agreements with the European Union.

“Moldova’s joining in 2011 the orders and decisions of the European Commission on energy was a mistake, as our country is not a member of the EU and does not have own deposits of natural resources. Thus, we should revoke our signature in those documents, which would unblock negotiations on supplies of the Russian gas,” the party’s leader and former President of Moldova Vladimir Voronin told reporters.